Dozens and dozens of golems rose from the earth, and the Old Hag meant business this time. Before, she didn’t put Ren, Evie, and Ragnar in her yes. But when Ren got in her way, she went mad and wanted to tear them apart.
Draki, Orakh, and the remaining Orcs all suffered injuries. Some minor and some major. And having to encounter fresh new golems wasn’t something they wanted to face right now.
“Now is the best time to tell us what to do.” Ragnar and the others backed when the golems were all buffed by the Old Hag’s potions, yet again. Their eyes glowed red in menace, and the layers of their rocky armor doubled in size.
“And don’t tell me to relax and follow the course of the event because I’m pretty sure we’re going to die if we follow this route!”
Ren wanted to laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. Still, he kept his mouth shut and remained his focused on the spell he was casting a minute before. The spell’s casting time was long, and he needed a little more time to finish it.
Ren gazed over at Evie, and the latter nodded in understanding. Her spell was ready, and she just needed Ren’s signal.
Before the golems could march forward while the Old Hag could cast [Alchemical Grenade] over at Ren and the others, Evie stretched the time and cast [Phantasmal Distortion].
In that small window of seconds, the Golems and the Old Hag paused. They were trapped in a dimension with nothing but swirling of bright colors, distorting what they perceived as reality.
Though Evie’s spell gave them a short time of breather, no one was rejoicing the least. They were still trapped in the Old Hag’s domain and what they were doing was only delaying the inevitable.
A sweat broke at the side of Evie’s cheeks. “Ren . . . the spell wouldn’t last long.”
Ren didn’t flinch, and he concentrated on the spell he was casting. He thought the Orcs could hold on until he could release one of the spells of Zukulum that he saved in his mind palace. It was just a basic spell, but it depleted all his MP in one go, and the casting time was longer than he expected.
I guessed summoning a God is that tedious. Ren thought.
Just in time that the [Phantasmal Distortion] lost its effect, Ren’s body was suddenly set ablaze with divine light that was so much for his enemies to bear. A simple snap of his hand drove the light over his body, taking the form of a large deer that glowed like stars and illuminated the area in blinding light.
[Fieyr’s Luminance]
Shrieks of the Old Hag’s rasped in their ears raw, and her angry shouts cleaved the night.
“Find the exit!” Ren shouted while the Old Hag covered her eyes, and the golems snored as they fell asleep under the brightness.
The Orcs didn’t waste time and quickly jabbed a finger when the light revealed the exit from the Old Hag’s domain.
“There it is!”
Without wasting any more time, everyone hurried out of the domain, and when Ren was sure that everyone got out, he ran after the others just in time that [Fieyr Luminance] lost its light.
A portal puked Ren out from the domain of the Old Hag, hearing the last curse of the witch before everything returned to the way it was before.
The afternoon light was hot on their skin, and Orakh closed his eyes to savor it. They had lived another day, and all thanks to Ren. He even saved him, and for that, he owed the sprite a debt of gratitude.
[Your relationship level with Orakh increased to INTIMATE!]
[Your relationship level with Draki increased to FRIENDS!]
Ren’s lips twisted in a satisfied smirk. All that trouble was worth it, as the event was running smoothly. He needed his relationship level with Orakh to be intimate so he could get the true ending of the quest and get that mask for Ragnar.
But when he realized that he wouldn’t get anything out of the whole ordeal but EXP, gill, and some mediocre items, his mood plummeted.
At the side, Ragnar took a giant breath and let it out in one long blast. He had forgotten how many times he encountered life-and-death situations in the game, and most of them were connected with Ren. He liked the change of pace from his everyday routine in the real world, but too much excitement wasn’t good for his heart either.
Ren was really going to be the death of him. Ragnar thought though he had a small smile on his lips.
Eventually, the Orcs all decided that it was enough scouting and danger for one day. It was time to go back home and rest, for another night of fighting was upon them.
Though they survived because of Ren and the others, none of the Orcs rejoice. Their fallen comrade brought a heaviness to their heart, and every life gone would be grieved for many days to come.
“I will tell the chieftain about this,” Orakh said, and everyone knew that he was talking mostly to Draki even though his eyes were steady ahead.
“. . .” Draki didn’t comment. He knew that he had made a grave mistake and lost more than half of their clan member. He wouldn’t be surprised if his mother would recede the mantle of Chieftain from him.
“That Old Hag sure is powerful,” sighed Evie. Even the combatants’ Orcs who had high ATP weren’t a match for her.
“Not just that . . . The Old Hag drew some of its power from the Evil Gods. And she is one of the underlings of Rakshat Parah,” said Orakh with a serious face and voice.
His expression then darkened. “That’s why the Old Hag can wantonly kill and has strange powers to . . .”
Orakh was about to say more when he clamped his mouth shut like he wasn’t sure if he should tell everyone of what he knew since he himself wasn’t sure to begin with.
Eventually, the group came back in the clan fire just an hour before light was swallowed by darkness.
Orakh and Draki went to Sharina to report what happened while Ren and the others waited by the clan fire.